The Kickoff: Monday, Aug. 26
Your roundup of soccer news across Wisconsin and beyond
Top of the box
In Australia, Preston Lions striker Haley Johnson (Kenosha Tremper/UW-Milwaukee) finished tied for second in goals as the NPL Victoria Women's (second division) concluded its regular season on Saturday.
Johnson didn’t find the net in the season finale as the host Lions tied Heidelberg United FC 2-2. Maja Markovski of regular-season champion FC Bulleen Lions scored four goals in an 8-0 rout of Calder United to claim the Golden Boot with 20 goals, while Johnson and Gabrielle Hollar of Boroondara-Carey Eagles each had 18.
Preston Lions and the Essendon Royals both finished seven points behind Bulleen with identical records (14W-5L-3D), but Preston earned second place thanks to a better goal differential (+33 to +8). That means the Lions will be at home for Friday’s semifinal between the teams — they played to a 2-2 tie Aug. 16.
Friday’s winner will face either Bulleen or Heidelberg United in the grand final.
Professional
Ethan Hoard (Racine Case/UW-Green Bay) continues to produce at the top of the attack for the Northern Colorado Hailstorm.
The 23-year-old had a goal and an assist in the Hailstorm’s 3-0 victory over the visiting Greenville Triumph in a USL League One match Sunday night.
Sunday’s goal was Hoard’s fourth in league play, and he has 11 goals and six assists in 23 appearances (17 starts) in all competitions in his first professional season. Hoard did miss a penalty in first-half stoppage time, firing his shot over the crossbar.
In Sweden, Maggy Henschler (Milton/UW-Milwaukee) made her professional debut Sunday, coming on for the final 10 minutes of KIF Örebro DFF’s 1-0 loss to host IF Brommapojkarna in a Damallsvenskan (top division) match.
Eli Beard (Marquette) has missed each of the first two games for the Carolina Ascent in the new USL Super League due to injury.
Nick Markanich, who played for the Green Bay Voyageurs in USL League Two and in some friendlies for Forward Madison FC, had a hat trick as the Charleston Battery hammered visiting Orange County SC 6-0 in USL Championship play Saturday night. The 24-year-old Markanich has 24 goals in 26 games and is one goal away from the league record of 25, set by Louisville City FC’s Cameron Lancaster in 2018 and equaled by the Colorado Springs Switchbacks’ Hadji Barry in 2021. Markanich and the Battery still have eight league matches remaining.
Follow all the players with state ties playing professionally in the U.S. and around the world on our Wisconsin Players in the Pros chart. If we've missed anyone, email us at wisconsinsoccercentral@gmail.com or let us know on social media.
College women
Sunday’s highlights
Providence 0:2 UW
Ashley Martinez opened the scoring in the 10th minute, fellow senior Dara Andringa added her first career goal in the 77th and junior goalkeeper Drew Stover stopped four shots in her second clean sheet as the Badgers (2-1-0) blanked the Friars (2-1-0) to complete a sweep on their East Coast road trip.Valparaiso 2:1 UW-Milwaukee
Addy Joiner set up Sam Gountounas’ 72nd-minute equalizer, then scored the game-winner in the 88th as the host Beacons (2-1-0) rallied past the Panthers in Indiana. Senior midfielder Lainey Higgins (Appleton East) gave UWM the lead with her first goal of the season in the 14th minute and the Panthers had a 23-9 advantage in shots, but they still fell to 0-3-0 for the first time since 2013.Western Michigan 3:0 Marquette
Jen Blitchok had two goals and Madi Canada added two assists as the host Broncos (2-0-1) scored all three of their goals in a 17-minute span in the second half to surge past the Golden Eagles (0-3-1).UW-Green Bay vs. UW-Parkside, ccd.
The scheduled match between the host Phoenix and the Rangers was canceled due to extreme heat and won’t be rescheduled.
College men
Sunday’s highlights
UW-Milwaukee 3:2 Bradley
Junior forward Alejandro Martinez (UW-Parkside) had a brace and assisted on Bienvenu Djunga’s 65th-minute goal that proved to be the game-winner as the Panthers (1-0-1) held off the Braves (1-1-0) at Engelmann Stadium. Senior Raul Medina assisted on all three UWM goals — the Spaniard is the third player in program history to record three or more assists in a game more than once.Marquette 6:1 Marist
Mitchell Dryden (Whitefish Bay/UW) had two goals and an assist and fellow junior midfielder Mitar Mitrovic added a goal and an assist as the Golden Eagles (2-0-0) overwhelmed the Red Foxes (0-2-0) at Valley Fields.UW 4:0 Drexel
Sophomore midfielder Trip Fleming set up Ryan Quintos’ first collegiate goal, then scored his first career goal to spark the Badgers (2-0-0) past the Dragons (0-2-0) at the McClimon Complex. Dean Boltz added his fourth goal of the weekend, while fellow freshman Matisse Hébert posted his second straight shutout.Illinois-Chicago 3:2 UW-Green Bay
Junior Jeloni Murray-Powell set up Andrew Paolucci’s 50th-minute equalizer for his first career assist, then scored his first collegiate goal 13 minutes later to give the Phoenix (0-2-0) the lead, but the host Flames (1-1-0) stormed back to win. An own goal in the 74th minute leveled the score, Bart Muns put UIC back in front with his second of the night in the 79th and Joshua Torres added an insurance goal in the 84th. UWGB standout striker Chris Album was sent off in the 86th.
High school
2024 WIAA boys soccer key dates
Earliest day for games: Tuesday
Regionals: Oct. 22 and 26 (Divisions 1 and 2); Oct. 22, 24 and 26 (Divisions 3 and 4)
Sectional semifinals: Thursday, Oct. 31
Sectional finals: Saturday, Nov. 2
43rd WIAA state tournament: Nov. 7-9 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee
WIAA tournament assignments
Division 1 (pdf)
Division 2 (pdf)
Division 3 (pdf)
Division 4 (pdf)
Amateur
In Japan, Coltrane LoBreglio (Oregon) has posted two clean sheets in three appearances for Michinoku Sendai FC in the Tohoku Soccer League Division 1 (fifth tier). The league season paused following July 28 matches and resumes Sept. 8.